


Todoroki Tsunayoshi | Sky - fiF&Fif [Arc 3]

by DaOrangeSoda



Series: family is Family & Family is family [14]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Gen, I know he is but for this it won't work to have him be, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Sawada Tsunayoshi is Todoroki Tsunayoshi, Todoroki Touya is not Dabi, Upped Rating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaOrangeSoda/pseuds/DaOrangeSoda
Summary: pt.1 Touya's view of his older sibling and how he fits into his life.Pt. 2 Fuyumi's view of her oldest sibling and how he fits into her life.Pt. 3 Natsuo's view of his oldest sibling and how he fits into his life.Pt. 4 Shoto's view of his oldest sibling and how he fits into his life.Pt. 5 The Sky's time of crisis and the bonds clung to from deathperation [Dying Will].
Series: family is Family & Family is family [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755349
Comments: 19
Kudos: 323





	1. Chapter 1

Touya is small.

Small enough that his older brother could always pick him up even though they were only two years apart.

He takes full advantage of it and it becomes a habit to be in his brother's arms even when his father makes a face at him being coddled.

There were always comments that he needed to be better than Tsuna in the future.

His mind doesn't understand but his heart hurts at the tone his father directs at him because it's the only time he has his father's attention and it doesn't sound too great.

Touya usually runs to his mother afterword, unwilling to have Tsuna overhear sad things should his father would ever think to follow after him.

He spends a lot of his life with his brother and it's amazing until Fuyumi is born because she takes his spot in Tsuna's arms.

He tries to understand that his mother is tired and Tsuna is helping! 

Just like he helped when Touya was born and Tsuna was a bit bigger but she's already so squirmy so maybe she could just stay in the stand jumper all day and they could go play?

Touya feels lonely even when Tsuna dotes on him and gives him treats and plays quiet games with him.

It's not the same as it was before.

He doesn't want to be mad about it so Touya tries hard but he can't help but be sad about it and sleeps with his mom in the bed she'd been in for so long.

Tsuna said that Fuyumi was a lot bigger since she stayed in their mother's belly longer than they did and it hurt their mom so she needed lots of rest by herself but it was okay for Touya to stay because he was cute and smart and how could their mom not want him around?

Touya liked thinking he was special enough for Tsuna to let him stay in their mother's bed, quietly resting, because he hardly let anyone in to see her.

Every time their father got near the door Tsuna would shout and scream and say words that made Touya's heart race in fear but when it was quiet, their father never opened the door.

Touya was finally four and Tsuna explained that his quirk would develop over the next year, baby Natsuo bouncing on his lap as Tsuna spoke.

He'd learned to act like a better big brother and had been playing with Fuyumi when he'd brought it up so he tried his best to focus on both his brother's words and keeping his sister entertained.

"Dad and mom have strong quirks so it might be scary when it comes. If it gets too scary just come to me, okay? And try to show me before you show dad."

Touya can't think of why it'd be scary.

His father almost always has his quirk activated when they see him on tv and his mother had always used her ice for neat tricks and playing.

"Okay."

Touya hands Fuyumi a block to make her stack higher.

"What's your quirk?"

Tsuna grimaced, "It's nothing special."

Touya's flame hurts! 

It hurts his hand and it's spreading and he starts crying because why is it like that?

He falls to the grass, unable to stand the pain and cries for his brother.

Tsuna comes running and he's being pulled into Tsuna's arms as he starts calmly talking to Touya but he can't hear anything.

The fire won't stop!

The tips of his fingers are turning an ugly red and he can't stop screaming.

"What's happening?"

He can barely hear his father over his sobs and suddenly Tsuna placed his hands over his and the flame snuffs out.

Touya cries against Tsuna, unconsciously registering Tsuna's trembling.

His hand still hurts and Tsuna keeps him close.

"A fire quirk?"

Tsuna squeezes him tight.

"He can't control it. He can't use it."

"Nonsense."

Tsuna holds Touya's head down by the neck and Touya realises Tsuna's hand is firmly holding him so he can't move.

"He can't."

"He will."

There's silence and Touya hears his father leave.

"Let's go Touya, we have to get cold water fast."

As Touya lets Tsuna treat his hand, he realises there's blisters all over his hands too.

"Sorry."

Tsuna laughs but his expression is watery, "I should say that to you. When mom gets back, we'll go to the doctors okay?"

Touya sniffles.

Fuyumi and Natsuo never get their father's focus the way he does so they never have to deal with the guilt of relying on Tsuna to stand between them and their father.

He has his father's attention until he's eight and Tsuna puts a stop to it.

The skin on his arms burn and he tries to hide it.

Trying his best to wear long sleeves and bandage it himself, but the effects of his training spread to his neck and seeing the black scarring seemed to make something in his older brother snap.

It's a yelling match that lives on for about a week before Touya suddenly isn't required to train.

While he feels relief, he also feels shame because he wanted the approval his father only ever gave when he brought out his flame.

Touya craved the praise of their father.

He doesn't tell Tsuna but suddenly he's being coddled like when before Fuyumi is born.

By the end of the year, he has a new little brother and his mother falls back into her more timid habits.

Touya feels guilt.

Touya thinks his family should be a million more times upset than they seem to be when Tsuna says their father is sending him overseas for high school.

Fuyumi is quiet and Natsuo is angry but Touya is the only one yelling and demanding their father let Tsuna stay.

He's ignored because his father hadn't looked at him since he was eight but he tries and he angrily thinks that if he had Fuyumi and Natsuo's backup then maybe...

He's upset to see Tsuna packing because the only other option was for his brother to be accepted into a their father's choice of a hero school.

Tsuna didn't want to be a hero.

Why wasn't his brother fighting this like he'd fought for his siblings every time?

What was the line, and why hadn't Tsuna thought him being sent away was worth getting mad over?

He'd poked and goaded Tsuna for an answer but it never came.

Touya was angry.

So, so angry.

A lot of his anger made him avoid Shoto because wasn't this kinda his fault?

He didn't know all of it but he knew enough for his young mind to start pointing fingers. 

Seeing Shoto's bandaged face made Touya feel worse for daring to have his thoughts.

On Tsuna's last night home, he told Touya to meet him in his room.

Touya bitterly looked at the luggage ready to help Tsuna leave him and felt the sting of his quirk, hot against the edge of his scarred skin.

"Touya," 

He took up his brother's bed, watching him arrange things on his desk.

"I have a friend in Italy. They're going to help me with something...with a lot actually and he, uh, he's got money."

For a moment Touya thought he was going to be invited to Italy with his brother.

"I got a house for mom to stay. To stay away from here. Dad agreed to it with conditions."

Touya grunted.

"So what?"

Tsuna sighed, finished with whatever he'd been doing before moving to the edge of his bed and dropped his hand to comfort Touya.

"So I want you to live with mom. To take care of her and for you to...not be here."

Touya grimaced.

He could live here if Tsuna was here too but he wouldn't be.

"Okay."

His throat was tight and it came out as a whisper.

Tsuna smiled, relieved.

"Thank you."

Touya kicked the sheets around himself until he was wrapped up tight.

"I'm going to stay here tonight."

Tsuna gave him an amused look, "Okay, my cute little brother."

Touya flushed.

It'd been a good while since he'd been called cute because Tsuna only called him that when he had been acting silly for his brother's attention.

The door to Tsuna's room suddenly slammed open and Tsuna gave a grunt as he was piled upon.

"Us too!"

Touya grimaced at Natsuo's snot covered face and Fuyumi's tear stained cheeks.

How Tsuna tolerated it was a mystery to him.

Tsuna laughed and settled them into the spacious bed.

Not specious enough, though, as he was pressed against the wall in the effort to make room.

Tsuna got up and left the room and Touya's stomach felt like he'd just taken bitter medicine when Tsuna returned with a heavily sleepy and still bandaged Shoto in arms.

Tsuna never blamed Shoto for a moment had he? And yet Touya...

Tsuna turned off the light and settled everyone as best he could.

Eventually everyone was asleep except him.

Or so he thought.

He saw the outline of Tsuna's hand reach out and Touya let his hand be held because he loved his brother and he'd miss him dearly.

Touya yawned as he stumbled through the hallway.

He'd stayed up too late last night chatting with Natsuo over their new shared interest: the newly released game of the year.

Pulling at the pealing edge of one of his scars, he followed the delicious smell that forced him into action even though he was exhausted.

His mom wasn't into cooking now that Natsuo was dropping by so much and showing off the skills he'd nurtured in Tsuna's absence.

But he wouldn't be here today for the same reason Touya wasn't able to open his eyes.

They'd exhausted themselves in competition over certain quests.

"Mom, what's the occasion?"

"You haven't called me mom since you were three, but okay. The occasion is...I'm home?"

Touya's eyes snapped open and he stared at Tsuna.

"You're...!"

Tsuna turned off the heat and held out his arms, "I'm home, Touya."

Touya practically tackled his brother and pulled him into a tight hug, trying to lift his brother off his feet, now that he was finally sporting some muscle, "Welcome back."


	2. Chapter 2

Fuyumi remembered Tsuna more in her life than her mom.

She felt bad about making the two cards on such a special day but her teacher had said it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

Sometimes older siblings had to help a bit more and they felt like parents.

So on mother's day, she presented her mom with the prettiest card she could possibly make.

She'd even found her favourite flower to press instead of carnations but it didn't come out as well as she wanted it too, but she'd practice and get better later.

She promised it.

When her mother looked at it, she was already praising Fuyumi's skill and when she opened it her mother's eyes were teary.

"My amazing daughter!"

She had been pulled into a gentle hug and asked if she could hang it on the fridge so she could see it every time she cooked.

Fuyumi had given the okay with a proud smile.

It was great!

But then she returned to her room to carefully pull out the second card.

It was plainer because the teacher had given them lots of things that a mom would like, not a boy, but Fuyumi had tried her best with what she had.

She'd even used kanji after learning how to spell Tsuna's full name from Touya.

Peeking into room after room, she found him outside by himself.

Sometimes her brother got sad but when she'd asked he'd told her a story instead.

It was a sad story.

"Um,"

Tsuna looked over his shoulder before urging her to sit beside him.

"Here!" She held out the card to him.

The printed "Mother's Day" of the original card had been scribbled out and she'd tried to put stickers over it but some of the script still peeked out.

"Happy biggest brother's day!"

Tsuna opened the card and laughed, "This is amazing."

A kiss was pressed to the top of her head when Tsuna pulled her in and when he pulled away she stayed leaning against him.

"Thank you Fuyumi."

Fuyumi usually stuck to Tsuna when Touya and Natsuo weren't there.

It was a them time and she tried not to be greedy about it but she loved it too much to be backing off whenever she saw Tsuna alone.

She sat beside him and listened to him about everything.

Fuyumi especially loved it when he taught her something cool that she could then teach to Natsuo.

Tsuna said she was the best at teaching because she was smart enough to know how to teach people with different methods instead of just the one.

It was a point of pride for her especially when Shoto started getting dexterous enough to also play along with origami and other simple things.

Her greatest joy, though, was when Tsuna taught her things for her to share with their mother.

Their mom was always tired or always sad lately so being able to do tricks with her quirk or show her an especially beautiful result of her efforts made her heart practically explode when her mom smiled.

She loved seeing her mother smile but recently, she was seeing it less and less so she stuck herself to Tsuna, desperate to learn things that would make her mom smile.

Fuyumi and her younger brother's were banned from seeing their mother until they entered high school.

That meant Fuyumi didn't have as long of a wait as Natsuo but Shoto looked absolutely broken, especially with the bandages still taped to his face.

Tsuna had called often, trying to speak with them but sometimes asked for Shoto specifically.

They seemed to be good interactions for Shoto since he would actually eventually look at them but he never replied back regardless of what Tsuna asked so she was still worried about the one-sided calls. 

It was stressful and when Shoto started being trained again his quietness was even scarier. 

Fuyumi admitted to it weeks later when she found Shoto wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets with a teary face.

Tsuna hadn't asked to speak to Shoto afterwards, instead asking for their father.

Fuyumi was scared as she handed the phone to her father and scampered away as soon as his gaze was off her.

Later she would find the phone partially indented by his father's fingers but supposed it was for the best when Shoto started playing with them again.

Fuyumi would work hard to be a reliable older sister.

It was raining and rain meant no visiting their mom.

Natsuo had practically relocated to her place once he'd entered high school and if he'd known the address of the place she was sure he would have chosen a high school right next to the building.

But it was raining now, so Natsuo was grouchy and on the phone with Touya.

He would be all day, so it would be just her and Shoto.

The gloom of the day always affected everyone so she wasn't sure if he'd want to spend time with her at all.

She'd made lunch and pulled Natsuo away from the phone long enough to help, but other than that she would be alone for the day.

That had been the plan until her phone rang with a call from her oldest brother.

Fuyumi loved calls from Tsuna because they talked about everything and anything.

Her phone would remind her to charge the battery before they'd end the call so she excitedly answered.

Their chat's usually started with the serious stuff before they turned to the pointless silly things in their lives.

When her phone reminded her to charge, she considered it time to end the call so she could make dinner but before she could, Tsuna asked her a question that had her grimace.

"Since Natsu's busy, can I talk to Shoto?"

Fuyumi chewed her lip as she went to find her youngest brother.

"Shoto,"

He looked up from the book he'd been flipping through.

"Tsuna wants to talk to you."

She held out her phone, offering rather than pushing him to take it.

Shoto pushed it back towards herself, "No."

Fuyumi tried not to let her irritation show as she took her phone.

"Sorry Tsuna."

Tsuna soft reply of it being fine didn't make her think it was fine at all.

Fuyumi stood in front of the stove, cooking a meal for one.

Her father would be home soon she imagined.

Whenever his work pushed past the usual hour, he came in at this late hour.

She'd worked late with her class plans and she had to get in early to help with prep work but she didn't mind.

Since their caretakers had been dismissed, there hadn't been anyone left to make her father a meal.

The front door shut heavily due to tired carelessness and she listened to the heavy steps of her father come close.

Serving a side dish of broth, the meal was completely set for him to enjoy.

Her father came and looked at the warm meal before taking a seat.

He ate silently and Fuyumi waited until a bit of the tiredness left his shoulders.

"Tsuna's back."

The tiredness was replaced with a tense strain.

"Is he? Should have been back years ago."

Fuyumi nodded, "He's staying with mom for a bit. He has somewhere else lined up to live but his things will take a while to get here."

There was silence.

"It's near your agency."

Fuyumi watched her father lower his next bite before letting it drop on the plate and setting his chopsticks on their holder.

He rose and left.

Fuyumi sighed as she took the plate and put it away to be reused as a morning meal.

Fuyumi thanked Shoto's homeroom teacher, unable to express how grateful she was.

The footage of how the class's parent's day had gone would be great to show Tsuna and their mother.

Shoto had looked especially cool and looked just like a hero.

"Ah, also can I have a form to update Shoto's emergency contacts?"

The paper was exchanged back and forth in minutes and the hero had looked at the paper with a raised brow.

Fuyumi remained at the top of the list but instead of calling their mother next, she placed Tsuna's name.

"Your parents are busy people. Is this an uncle?"

Fuyumi grinned, "No. It's our older brother. He has more of a stomach for...emergencies than our mother."

She was given an understanding look before she left.

Fuyumi couldn't wait to show off Shoto's skilled rescue!


	3. Chapter 3

Natsuo loved Touya but when asked who his hero was, he didn't write his beloved brother's name.

The teacher had seen his blank sheet and reminded him that his father was a great hero but Natsuo had wrinkled his nose.

This assignment was to practice writing not lies so he thought about it for a good long while before starting his essay.

"My hero is...my big brother Tsuna."

He sounded it out and tried to write as much as he could at school because he didn't want to have any of his siblings catching him.

Maybe Fuyumi was fine but if he had to, he'd ask his mom for help first.

Natsuo worked on it in private until he had to turn it in.

When he got it back, there was a flower in the corner and Natsuo beamed with pride.

"Now that we practiced writing, we're going to practice reading! Your parents are visiting after playtime to hear you read your essays out loud."

Everyone was suddenly very excited but Natsuo frowned.

Would his mom be sad that he hadn't written about her?

A lot of kids wrote about All Might so maybe it was okay?

Regardless, Natsuo spent his break reading the paper because even if he hadn't written about her, he wanted his mom to be proud because she was always proud of Tsuna and Natsuo wanted to be like Tsuna.

When the time came, Natsuo read his essay with pink cheeks because sometimes his classmates would giggle but mostly because his mom was smiling brightly.

Once everyone was done, the teacher announced it was a short day and they could leave with their parents.

As they walked back, his mom praised his hard work.

"You should share it with Tsuna. He'd love to hear it."

Natsuo stubbornly kept the paper to his chest.

"Did you know, Tsuna is the one who picked your name?"

Natsuo did not know that.

"He was listening to you in my belly and he heard a growl and said it sounded like Natsu. He called you a little lion until he saw your hair when you came home and said you were cuter than a lion but Natsu is a cute name isn't it?"

When Natsuo got home he decided to share his essay with Tsuna.

Tsuna was, Natsuo decided, the only one who was allowed to call him Natsu because the name was special.

Natsuo hadn't understood the blackened skin on his brother's skin until his mother explained it and Fuyumi gave him a culprit to point fingers at.

From then he hated his father who had hurt his beloved brother just to train some stupid quirk.

He'd run to Touya to complain about their father and play doctor because his mother had told him that sometimes the scars still hurt so it needed medicine that day.

Even if it didn't hurt, the medicine was good so it wouldn't itch.

Natsuo had forced off Touya's shirt with full intent to cover every centimeter of skin that was a shade too dark.

Even though Touya looked annoyed he'd instructed Natsuo just how much to put so he didn't use the whole tube.

They complained and picked apart every little thing about their father that they could, "He's crazy. The only one he listens to is Tsuna."

"Tsuna?"

Touya was on his stomach, letting Natsuo rub cream on that one spot he'd never reach on his own.

"Tsuna made dad stop."

"He did?"

Touya nodded, "If we ever need help Tsuna will save us."

"Okay Natsu," Tsuna set the step stool beside him. "Let's cook."

Natsuo excitedly looked over their set up.

Tsuna had prepped everything so he could focus on the recipe.

"We're going to make stew since it's cold and mom can't warm up."

Natsuo nodded.

"Okay, first we start with this!"

Tsuna helped him measure and pour and mix with as little intervention as he could.

Natsuo really felt like he could make it again as long as someone helped him cut the tough things that needed the big knife.

"Now for a taste test."

Tsuna poured some of their dish onto the small plate he used for a taste test and handed it to Natsuo, "The chef's privilege is the first taste."

Natsuo grinned.

"It's ready!"

Tsuna grinned.

"It's because you worked hard! Go tell everyone it's ready."

And so Natsuo spent his first night of cooking hearing the praise of his family for his efforts.

He liked cooking.

  
  


When Natsuo finished the ceremony for his first day of highschool, he looked for his sister.

She had let him know she'd be waiting by the gates.

Fuyumi was still in her uniform for her all girls school.

"Ready?"

Or course he was!

His only point of contact had been Touya and then a bit more with Fuyumi but there was only so much he could share by using them as messengers.

Natsuo followed Fuyumi through the trains and looked at the neighborhood they ended up at, counting houses before they stopped.

Fuyumi opened the gate and led him to the door.

She had her own key.

"Mom, we're here."

Natsuo felt his heart squeeze when he finally heard his mother's voice.

Clear and without the odd background noise calls gave.

"We're in the kitchen."

Natsuo kicked off his shoes and hurried to where he knew the voices were from.

"Mom!"

Natsuo ran to his mom and hugged her tight.

"Natsuo, it's good to see you."

This was a good reunion but he still kept track of when he'd get to greet Tsuna in person too.

Natsuo couldn't leave his father's home.

Shoto was sick.

Shoto wasn't allowed to see their mother much less be in her house.

Fuyumi wouldn't be home for a good while.

Natsuo couldn't leave Shoto alone because Shoto wasn't allowed to be sick if their father decided for an impromptu lesson or quirk training so Natsuo stayed home.

He had called Fuyumi for a medicine pick-up but other than that there wasn't much he could do since Shoto's sicknesses were usually a result of his quirk.

So he called Tsuna.

Since there was no chance of their father being home any time soon, he put it on video call.

"What do I do?"

And Tsuna gave him directions.

Not too long passed before he was sticking a new hot pad to one of Shoto's feet and a cool pack on the other before telling him to put on slippers.

Shoto dizzily let himself be guided to the table but cognizance returned when his favourite dish was set before him.

By the time he was finished Fuyumi had the medicine ready for Shoto to take and once their father was home Shoto managed to play off good health.

Tsuna was a life saver. 


	4. Chapter 4

Shoto was scared of his oldest brother but he hadn't always been.

Before his quirk came in he loved his oldest brother.

Tsuna liked to hold him, kiss him, and tickle him until he was almost sick from laughing so hard.

It was the best time of his life until his quirk came in.

Then his nightmare began.

His father said he needed to train now if he was to be number one.

Better than number one.

He wasn't going to be anything less and wasn't to even think of being like his siblings.

To be unable to think of his siblings meant he wasn't allowed to know his siblings so he was pulled away and kept by his father's side with only his mother being able to visit but every time Shoto saw her she looked sicker and sicker.

Sometimes he heard Tsuna yelling through the doors, his father yelling right back.

It continued on for forever until one day he was watching the kettle water fall towards him in slow motion.

He was terrified.

The water suddenly started freezing wildily, growing in both his mother's direction and towards Shoto.

It wasn't cold when it touched him but it hurt.

The ice spread over him, encasing his entire body and he was stuck in a moment of pain and fear.

Tsuna rushed between them, panicked, and hurried towards Shoto but he was starting to hear less and less.

See less and less until there was a cracking noise. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Shoto wasn't sure what his brother was sorry for, especially when the ice fell away in chunks so quickly.

Tsuna held him in his arms, sobbing and apologizing to Shoto.

Shoto started sobbing seeing his mother's still frozen hands and scary face, his crying brother and the tea kettle rolling under the table, noisily bumping into the table's legs.

It hurt and everyone hated him and everything was his fault.

Tsuna held him close, hand over one side of his face as he hurried through the house.

Shoto sobbed louder when his father's voice came close but he couldn't understand anything.

Shoto hated himself for making everyone go away and he was sure Natsuo and Fuyumi hated him too.

They were only pretending to be nice because their father had gotten even scarier than before and he looked upset whenever he saw any of them.

Fuyumi had to see him a lot since the nurse that had been visiting had taught her how to change the bandages and now it was her job.

Shoto wished she wouldn't because it was so quiet.

He remembered how fun it had been before.

This time when Fuyumi took off the dressings, she excused herself for just a moment because she'd forgotten the cream.

Shoto had been curious about it and moved off the bed to look in a mirror.

Eyes wide, he couldn't help but cry as he looked at the big scar on his face.

Black and red and purple and scary.

The same scar he'd seen on his mother's hands once the ice had come off.

When Fuyumi came back, she panicked and pulled him into a hug.

Shoto missed his mom.

Shoto missed Tsuna.

Once his father's training had been so much more than he could handle, he considered telling Tsuna about it.

He called a lot and Fuyumi always reminded him that Tsuna was their protector.

Shoto had made up his mind to say something but when Tsuna had called that night, the phone never came to him.

He wanted to cry but his head already hurt from crying before.

Did Tsuna hate him for being weak?

His father certainly did.

Shoto wrapped the blanket around himself tighter. 

"Hey,"

Natsuo opened his door slightly, "Tsuna's on the phone with dad...um, it might get loud so Fuyumi said we should go get some ice cream."

Shoto tried to keep to himself on their impromptu walk but his siblings held both his hands as they headed to the store, telling him stories.

He did feel better when they walked home, noticing the sun had started to set.

"Shoto," Fuyumi peeked in.

"Tsuna's going to call tomorrow since we weren't here before. Is that okay?"

Shoto nodded.

Shoto noticed less training because training had been everyday.

Shoto also noticed he wasn't feeling sick after each session.

Now that he had so much time, he didn't really know what to do.

Natsuo taught him games and cool tricks he could practice by himself.

Fuyumi taught him crafts.

His favourite things to do now that he wasn't on such a strict schedule was to place the phone next to himself on the pillow during Tsuna's calls and listen to his stories.

Shoto had lost faith in his desire to be a hero.

It happened when he was feeling down, spiraling further and further into sadder thoughts until the thought of, "Would I even be a good hero," popped up.

When it happened he found himself in Tsuna's room.

It had been emptied so it was noticeable no one stayed there but there were still a lot of things he'd left behind.

Shoto liked to go through it.

Reading and re-reading Tsuna's manga or just shuffling through his desk to find stray papers with low marks.

Sometimes he went under the bed and pulled out a box of what looked like garbage but when Natsuo had peeked in to see what he was doing, he'd been informed that it was gifts they'd all given Tsuna when they were little.

Natsuo had rummaged through the box, explaining all his gifts and some of Fuyumi's and Touya's.

He couldn't tell the story for all of them but it made Shoto happy.

Shoto had secretly added a few things that reminded him of Tsuna or of trinkets he thought his brother would like before replacing the lid.

It wasn't until then that he heard a paper fall and reopened it, noticing something had been stuck to the lid.

It was a paper.

"My hero is," Was printed atop it before a crude essay was written out.

Shoto felt teary at that.

Natsuo saw Tsuna as a hero and had written out why.

The why was something that only Tsuna could do as their big brother.

It was so simple but...

Shoto wiped at his eyes.

Tsuna was a hero, his siblings' hero, and Shoto desperately wanted to be Tsuna's hero because he was the one who had let Tsuna be sent away.

He could be a hero, he decided.

If only for Shoto to be Tsuna's hero.

Shoto nervously looked at the image he'd taken on his phone.

Was it too blurry?

Maybe he should retake it...or maybe just not send it at all.

The photo of his acceptance letter was plain, nothing to look at.

Maybe he should record some of the acceptance video instead?

Shoto's finger hovered over the send button for the mail before sending it.

He almost tossed his phone afterward but he almost immediately got a call.

Shoto answered it quickly, feeling jittery.

"Shoto! Congratulations!"

Shoto couldn't help his small smile.

"Thanks."

"Was it hard? Or too easy? Did you have fun?"

Shoto thought about Tsuna's questions, "No, it was medium. It was okay."

Tsuna laughed at his response.

"Tell me about it."

And Shoto did.

Tsuna listened and commented with delight.

"You're so cool Shoto. I probably would have tripped on the first event and just gone home."

The image Shoto had of his oldest brother didn't match up with that but he couldn't exactly say Tsuna was wrong about himself.

"Call me after your first day, okay? I wanna hear all about it. You're going to be the best hero. Hero Shoto, my cute little brother!"

Shoto wasn't very willing to believe Tsuna loved him like he loved the others.

After all, it was Shoto's silence on the incident that got him sent away and his mother relocated.

He had accepted the bleak world view of never having what he had until he was pulled into a hug like he was four all over again, feet lifted off the ground.

It was a lot more embarrassing and very startling because Tsuna didn't look strong but he was squeezed so tightly he could feel the love weather he liked it or not.

Shoto had avoided visiting his mother's home because he knew Tsuna had returned to Japan but his mind never made the connection that Tsuna would come to him in their father's house.

"My precious little brother has gotten so big. It's not fair that everyone got so big."

Tsuna didn't put him down until they reached the couch where he was dropped.

Before he could right himself, Tsuna had a hand on his scar.

Fingers lightly traced where he knew the edges of it to be.

"I'm sorry about everything. I wish I had been better."

Shoto didn't feel like he deserved that apology and was ready to make his own but Tsuna had an air about him that said he shouldn't.

"You were too young to have anything to do with that Shoto. Don't think that you should be sorry for any of that."

Shoto silently nodded before he was wrapped up into another hug.

"So what has little Sho gotten into for the past ten years? You never tell me anything outside of pictures. Fuyumi said you have a field trip for school tomorrow?"

Shoto nodded, "It's training for rescue scenarios. "

Shoto looked at his phone with a frown.

The more time he spent with Tsuna, the more human Tsuna was.

Unfortunately it meant Tsuna wasn't perfect.

In fact he was actually quite clumsy and Shoto wasn't surprised at the message of Tsuna getting lost at the festival.

He'd gone to get them snacks as a reward for Shoto's amazing work during the performance but now it seemed he'd have to leave his friends to look for his sibling.

Shoto had wanted to introduce his brother as it seemed his classmates always seemed to miss the chance to talk to Tsuna.

Ready to call, he spotted his brother waving to someone and Shoto tilted his head.

"Shoto! Sorry I took so long but it's so crowded. This school's really amazing to have you guys running the stands with this type of food."

Shoto took his reward from Tsuna.

"Everyone's left to look at the activities."

Tsuna paused, looking him over before ruffling his hair.

"Don't pout. We can walk around the whole place now that you're not busy. I'm sure we'll run into some of them."

Shoto wrinkled his nose.

"Let's take some pictures first! I'll be the principal and you can be the building. Everyone will be so jealous I got to be here with you."


	5. Chapter 5

"You're dying."

Tsuna was done.

He'd given up.

Everything was tearing him down and he didn't want to fight anymore.

He supposed the clearest sign that he wasn't going to fight was when he agreed to take the entrance exam to a hero school.

He hadn't cared about what school it was or what the test was.

Tsuna had listlessly let his father drop him off at a school and stood at the gates for a good while, letting everyone walk past him.

The exam might kill him, it was said.

Tsuna had died once so he could do it again even if it did stick.

He was about to go to the exam room when he felt it.

It was close and so familiar but in an opposite direction.

Tsuna didn't go to the exam room.

His heart ached and his stomach felt heavy so he waited outside the school and watched the doors close.

Tsuna wanted to cry.

Why now?

When he'd so wonderfully given up.

Haimawari Koichi was cute in the same way Takeshi was when he played at being naive. 

Tsuna didn't think he'd find anyone truly be the personality Takeshi played at but here Koichi was, oblivious but reliable.

Tsuna could feel the flames crackle inside him and felt their connection spark as Koichi dragged out a smile from Tsuna until he was comfortably teasing.

It felt so natural to be beside him so Tsuna decided it would be fine to try.

Koichi hadn't sparked his flame properly and it may fizzle out but Tsuna had nothing much to lose and trying for a connection over time wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

He was dying and waiting until death pulled him under was a talent Tsuna had.

Tsuna had returned to Japan for a quick visit.

He wanted to see his family and catch up with mother but had missed his chance to visit his siblings.

Everyone was busy with this and that so he decided to ask his mother to keep his visit hush hush.

"Are you doing okay?"

He wasn't.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't come back right after but there's a lot I have to do in Italy."

His mother had looked at him and placed her scarred hand on his cheek.

He'd done that to her.

"Take care of yourself Tsunayoshi."

"Okay."

He'd run away from her, if he cared to put a name to it.

Tsuna had left in a hurry and gone to the city.

Finding Kouichi again was wonderful even if he was with shady people.

It was great to talk to him in person.

He was on a visit to Japan again and had stopped by his father's office this time too.

It was more to check on him than anything, to see if he was still blindly following a stupid goal.

He'd never gotten the promised meetup because his father was out searching for a villain who was causing too much trouble to ignore.

Tsuna found out it had a lot to do with Koichi apparently and made a mental note to never introduce his friend to his dad.

He found his friend's hideout with some very scary looking guys before deciding to make an offer.

Koichi's flame was almost bursting but that final push would never come without help.

The rings he always carried on him felt heavy and Tsuna sighed.

"I want to save her."

Tsuna could hear the flames crackling like lightening.

"And after?"

Koichi had grinned.

"I'll be a hero."

Tsuna presented him with the ring.

An offering.

A connection.

"Then I'll give you this for luck."

Tsuna watched him slide on the ring and there it was.

Koichi willed the connection as much as Tsuna.

The ring burst into flame and Tsuna felt Koichi's flames settle in perfect balance with his quirk.

An impossibility. 

A beacon. 

"Good luck Crawler!"

Byakuran knew about it because he was Byakuran.

Tsuna wasn't sure if it was because of the pacifier around his neck giving him clairvoyance or if it was just Byakuran's absurd skills in gathering information but Tsuna was given rice with red beans as a joke.

"Congrats."

Tsuna wondered if the bowl was actually filled with marshmallows.

"Thanks."

Tsuna felt this one from a good distance away.

Unlike Koichi it was explosive, filled with a desire and goal that would have had every sky alert were there any left beside he and Byakuran.

He went looking, this time.

Byakuran would be proud.

Tsuna sneaked into a hospital and probably pissed off a few heroes guarding the doors when he lied about there being an issue a few floors down.

Feeling the sudden drop in Will was terrifying and Tsuna rushed to make a move because he was a sucker and he didn't like people dying if he could help it.

This person hadn't needed a ring to force their flames into activity and Tsuna couldn't help but consider him a treasure.

Tsuna couldn't believe he'd died protecting his precious students and couldn't imagine any teacher outside of Reborn doing the same for him.

They spoke and Tsuna felt desire for this flame because it felt so much like Reborn and having that crutch in his life again made him tear up.

"Be my Family."

Tsuna's heart thumps because this was fast.

He'd spent years with his guardians, courting and making connections but something about this person made everything just click.

"Okay."

Tsuna can't help his tears.

"Thank you."

Tsuna had been practicing with the Mare ring. 

Byakuran was the worst teacher but a lot of the abilities were instinctual. 

Vongola rings were a connection to the past, Arcobaleno pacifiers were the future and Mare were the present.

A million different presents using Tsuna as an anchor point.

Tsuna had learned a lot.

Tsuna had not learned enough. 

Tsuna sat with Aizawa, wondering if he'd be too upset if Tsuna took his student's papers and started drawing flowers for the excellent scores.

He'd been working a good amount now and Aizawa had started rubbing his eyes.

"You should rest, or you'll go blind again."

The morbid humour was met with a distasteful look.

"I'm almost done."

Tsuna decided drawing on the papers wouldn't hurt.

"You know, you almost went blind because of your flames?"

It seemed interesting enough to keep the room from being silent.

"Did I?"

Grading was too important.

Tsuna huffed.

If Aizawa wasn't curious about it then it wasn't Tsuna's problem.

Tsuna had actually gotten a head start on things because he'd been looking into alternate realities.

Seeing his hated father with blades in his body from the Hero Killer hadn't been satisfying at all.

It was actually horrifying and he rushed to the location.

This reality was different and he'd gotten there just as the Hero Killer took down a monster, saving a costumed kid.

Death was coming quick but Tsuna knew things and he used his flames to overlap on his father's quirk to make a wall.

Saving the Hero Killer hadn't been on his list.

Quite the opposite really but Tsuna was a chump in every reality.

He was a chump but he wasn't stupid so he left him with Byakuran.

Okay, maybe he was stupid.

Tsuna had seen the news when he decided to use Byakuran's method.

Byakuran had explained how he'd used technology from other dimensions to save a few of his guardians from living their lives in hospitals and demanded repayment by using them as his guardians.

Tsuna wasn't cruel enough to make that trade but he could offer nonetheless.

He'd help the hero either way but the offer would come first.

It was hard to work that way and Tsuna ended up talking about siblings most of the time.

Tsuna was a sucker for kids and him being an older brother didn't help Tsuna's resolve to trick someone into being his guardian.

Tensei was a good man and Tsuna would help him even if things didn't turn out well.

Tsuna wondered if he'd dropped back into being suicidal.

Byakuran had called him suicidal because he had let himself rot away for so long until Koichi but Tsuna thought that letting himself be held at knifepoint would make that conclusion fit better.

The Hero Killer was angry and aggressive even though he was practically disabled from his collective wounds. 

Byakuran had dealt with him without mercy and Tsuna felt bad about it so he took care of the killer because he was useless Tsuna.

He'd sat beside the man and talked and even practiced his skills with the ring.

Once he'd pulled out Squalo's videos from a universe where sword skills reign supreme, he decided he needed a break from things.

Tsuna didn't get that break because even his dreams weren't safe.

He's just wanted a nap because he had a lot of visitors and intruders and he wanted to be alone for a bit.

But the man had wormed his way in with a trick reminiscent of Mukuro so Tsuna payed attention.

Suddenly his nap wasn't on his to-do list anymore, abruptly ripped out.

It was the same hospital as Aizawa's and he wondered if this was a hospital for heroes or people with hero related emergencies as everyone seemed to be there.

Tsuna had to sneak past a lot more security and wondered if he should learn how to turn his flames into wings like Byakuran.

It had been a cool trick before and would probably stop him from tripping so much.

When he got to the hospital room, he almost stopped breathing.

Was this something he could fix?

Would that offer even work?

He could try, at least.

Tsuna bit his lip as he stood in front of the door.

He'd heal what he could before they started speaking.

Much of the technology and knowledge he accessed was flame based so a lot of it would have to do with this man's will.

Tsuna had magically earned the loyalty of the Hero Killer.

Byakuran must have had something to do with it but Tsuna couldn't figure out how.

One day he was being threatened with a shard of a broken bowl and the next he was being sworn loyalty like a lord.

Tsuna didn't think he'd need a sword to fight for him but he appreciated the sentiment. 

His work only got hard not violent but having a wanted bodyguard might raise those risks.

Tsuna decided accepting Chizome was easiest because he was tired and cursed and taking a nap could cure him of one of those things.

Tsuna had met with Sasaki at his request.

Apparently he had a temporary guardianship while a school took proper custody of the girl who he'd helped rescue.

Tsuna didn't get why or how a school got those permissions but he'd been working against hero law abuse since high school so he knew how heroes got away with things.

Sasaki met him at the mall.

Tsuna wanted to groan when his assistance was requested.

"Eri has clothes and food which is fine but she doesn't have toys or anything to do yet."

Tsuna almost smacks the makeup kit out of his hands when Sasaki held it up to him.

He picks out colouring books and activity kits.

Tsuna is explaining why letting Eri draw on walls with a paper cover will let her be more expressive when Sasaki gets a message.

"Aizawa is here."

Tsuna had heard Aizawa was in the same boat as Sasaki but he hadn't known they were so close to be shopping together.

When he finds them, Aizawa is holding the worst pink outfit Tsuna has ever seen.

"This would look good on Eri."

Tsuna does smack the clothes out of his hand.

Tsuna doesn't know how he ended up with Eri holding a ring just like he didn't quite get how Lambo had but she's the last slot before his flame balances itself.

He can feel it and everything is righted within himself so he can finally feel how wrong the world is around him.

It's suffocating and messed up in a way he'd never felt.

Byakuran voices his agreement even though he hasn't collected all his guardians.

Tsuna can't even guess what wrong with this world but it needs to desperately be fixed.

The only anchor it had are Earth flames and they're so measly compared to what it once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previous: Mist | Next: Overlap


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